


With a little help

by Nea



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: M/M, brothers talk, spoiler for episode 303
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 03:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8694415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nea/pseuds/Nea
Summary: The Halstead brothers have a Talk.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's note:** I thank [gayclaryfray](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gayclaryfray) for her always helpful beta!  
>  **Author's note 2:** For ‘s Joker  
>  **Warnings:** Spoilers for episode 303, can be seen as a sequel to [Takes one to know one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8575657), but should also work on its own.  
>  **Disclaimer:** The characters aren‘t mine but Dick Wolf‘s and Co.

Will’s trying to shake the very last of milk out of its carton and over his cereal, when he hears Jay coming home.

"We’re out of milk!" Will lets him know, but doesn’t get any response.

With a sigh he leans against the kitchen cabinets and stirs his cereal to get as many of the flakes touched by the milk as possible.

"Did you buy any?" he asks his brother again, when Jay enters their little kitchen.

When Jay still doesn’t answer, Will wants to throw the empty milk carton at his head, but then he remembers they aren’t kids anymore. Besides, Jay already looks pissed, with his tense shoulders, tight set jaw and clenched fists.

"Jay!" Will says, with his mouth full, louder this time, getting through to his brother. "What happened?"

"A guy took Mouse hostage." his brother tells him and Will almost chokes on his food.

"What? How? Is he okay?" Will wants to know, putting the bowl aside, ready to help.

Jay nods, leaning against one of the cabinets next to Will. "It’s just because of him that no one died today."

"Sounds badass." Will picks up his bowl again, and notices that Jay’s knuckles whiten from the tight grip on the cabinet. "Are YOU okay?"

"I didn’t have to shoot anyone. Mouse is okay. I’m good." Jay’s voice is strained with anger, frustration, and shoved aside fear and sorrow.

Will knows that voice. It’s Jay’s ‘something’s wrong and I can’t help’ voice. He heard it when their mom got sick and he heard it when Jay came back from war. Will hates that voice.

He sighs again. "You should go and tell him."

His brother stares at him, crossing his arms.

"Really, Will? You of all people are telling me this? Seriously?" Jay asks sarcastically. "Why don’t you follow your own advice and tell Connor?"

"Me and Connor, that’s a completely different story." Will says. "Most of the time I don’t even know if we like each other."

And before Jay can do more than just snort, Will adds, "Besides, it’s not like I had feelings for him forever but pretended not to."

Jay looks away and Will’s expecting him to start a fight now or to curse him and go away, but...

"I came out to him and nothing happened." his brother tells him instead, looking very miserable.

"Are you kidding me?" Will wants to know. "Are we talking about that one time two weeks ago where you were high on pain-killers?"

Jay just nods wordlessly, and Will has to fight back laughter before he continues. "You had cracked ribs and were basically covered in bruises," Will reminds him. "Did you expect him to jump you in that condition?"

Still without a word, Jay hangs his head and sighs.

"Have you two even talked about it since?" Will asks, and when Jay shakes his head, Will once again wants to throw something at him. Like the now empty bowl that’s still in his hands.

He puts it aside. "Jay, you’re an idiot." After a sigh, he adds: "And so is Mouse. You two are perfect for each other!"

"It’s not that simple," Jay finally says, quietly. "We’re best friends. What if he’s not interested?"

"But what if he IS?" Will raises his voice a little. "He looks at you like you’ve hung the moon and the stars and you look at him like he’s the best thing that ever happened to you! Everyone with a pair of working eyes can see that!"

Jay opens his mouth, but Will keeps talking. "The only ones who are blind to it are you and Mouse and maybe it’s the friendship that makes you not see it!"

There’s a silence where Will stifles a yawn. He actually planned to eat something and head straight to bed. It’s been a long shift.

His brother is just standing there, thinking about Will’s words. Or that’s what Will hopes for, at least. He grabs Jay by the shoulders.

"Go and tell him before another guy with a gun shows up, okay?"

Jay curses and looks away and Will’s pretty sure he hit home and Jay finally got it.

"Thanks, little brother." Jay claps his shoulder and grabs his keys before he hurries out the door.

Now Will yawns openly, rubbing his tired eyes, looking forward to get some undisturbed sleep. He doesn’t expect to see his brother come home tonight.


End file.
